The Perfect Foil

Microwaves have long been banished from my kitchen.
Where's the joy in eating anything that's been 'nuked'?
It may take a half hour or so longer, but the smell of food slowly roasting in my oven -- perfuming the house with the anticipation of dinner -- is well worth the wait.
And so it is on Sundays that I bring out the tin foil and get busy roasting goodies to enjoy for the coming week of work.
The options are endless, but I'm usually looking for ways to make the best of the organic food box I get delivered to my door every two weeks.
Generally, I set my oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and figure the rest out from there.
I might take a head of garlic, chop off the very top, pop it into a square of foil, drizzle a little olive oil on the top, sprinkle with sea salt and then wrap the foil tightly. It takes about 45 minutes in the oven to turn pungent garlic into oozy goodness that can be spread onto crusty bread, pureed in a salad dressing or served on a platter with freshly grilled steaks.
If I have last-minute company over and I want to serve a little something to go with drinks I'll pop an assortment of olives into a pouch of tin foil, warm them up in the oven and let my guests think I've worked harder than I truly have.
If I have beets hiding out in my crisper (which I often do) I'll chop both ends off of those ruby gems, pop them into an individual square of foil, drizzle olive oil and package them away for a slow roast that can last 40-90 minutes depending on the beet.
What's beautiful about roasted beet is that (a) the outer skin peels off in a jiffy once you let them cool a bit ... limiting the chances of staining whatever it is you're wearing that day; (b) the roasted beet displays a deep mellowness that stands in total contrast to the pickled beets most people grew up trying to avoid.
Roasted beets are a sultry dish, a valentine's day treat.
They also work well pureed in a borscht soup, drizzled with a balsamic vinegar reduction, or sliced in a stack with alternating rounds of goat cheese.
I like to quarter or dice my roasted beets, drizzle them with a lemon vinaigrette (juice of one lemon, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tbsp dijon, a clove of minced garlic, a chopped green onion or chives, salt & pepper) then top them with a mess of baby arugula (dressed in the same lemon vinagrette) and crown it all with a round of goat cheese that's been dredged in peppered panko crumbs and quickly baked to soften.